Polk County Again Reducing Curbside Waste Service, Threatens Fines for Non-Compliance

Polk County is again reducing yard trash collection, with new guidelines that limit pickup to branches that do not exceed two inches in diameter.

In addition to the diameter limits, items may be no longer than three feet, and must be containerized in bins, bundles, or bags, with a maximum combination of four containers, each weighing 30 pounds or less.

Yard waste items should be placed curbside by 6:00 am on resident's designated collection day.

"Items not in compliance will not be collected, and if they stay curbside, they may be subject to code enforcement violations," said Jeff Foley, Polk County Public & Media Relations Officer.

The new rules will go into effect on Monday, June 5 and will affect both routine yard trash and bulk collection.

Bulk collection will now be limited to furniture and appliances which will take place once a month on a preset, scheduled day. Household items that were not structurally attached to the house are acceptable.

"No construction debris or eviction/move-outs will be collected," Foley said in a statement to LakeWalesNews.net.

They follow close upon an announcement that the county will also discontinue recycling efforts at the end of the current contract next year, and instead simply landfill the recyclable materials, including steel, aluminum, and cardboard.

To find out your scheduled collection day, or for more information, please visit http://www.polkwastewise.net or call (863) 284-4319.